I have a suspicion that David and Scott are corrupting influence as these last few weeks have been spent listening to more rock acts than I have in the past few years. Between them and my rampant nostalgia for sounds that mine memories some fifteen years in the past I’m losing sight of the House and Jazz that usually dominates my playlists. Anyway, Willowtree released their sophomore effort, What a Way to Go!, earlier this year and it is a bright, upbeat pop album that rips through ten tracks in just over thirty minutes. Joel Ekelöf dulcet vocals are supported by a rhythm section seemingly joined at the hip that adds quite a bit of swing to each song, particularly with Andreas Hollgren’s crisp and gunshot like drum work.
“Berlin-Helsinki” Is the best example of the band’s lockstep approach to performing as the song, while minimal in composition it features several tempo shifts from verse to chorus with each voicing taking a different approach. From the snaking bassline and swaying drum work to the staccato and angular guitar riffs, the band projects an air of confidence in each other and comfort in what each will do. Ekelöf is at his strongest, projecting a radio friendly voice that is at once powerful but tinged with a sense of plaintiveness. It is a finely crafted pop song that is instantly mix ready as it the the more indie leaning “Summer TV” with its layers of guitars building up and washing out over the reverb dampened vocals.
What a Way to Go! is a fine album to cap off the summer, leading you by the hand into autumn. The album makes me pleased that I have been succumbing to my partners rock-centric ways, so if you are looking for a fun nugget of Pop than you can do no better than Willowtree. Highly recommended. Grab You Know It for free from their website along with some videos or stream four tracks over at Myspace.